Brake-lever



('No Model.)

J. JENSEN.

BRAKE LEVER. No. 262,676. I I" Patented Aug. 15, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JENS JENSEN, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

BRAKE-LEVER.

SPECIFICATION frming part of Letters Patent No. 262,676, dated August 15, 1882. Application filed January 19, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jens JENSEN, of Racine, in the county of Racine, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVagon-Brake Levers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to lever-locks for wagonbrakes, and is an improvement on the device patented to Edgar J. Anderson, July 10, 1877, No. 192,961; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and arrangement, as more particularly set forth hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of my device, and Fig.3 is a detail, Figs. 2 and 3 being views of the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view,in section, of a portion ofthe lever, sliding latch, spring, 850.

In the patent above named, on which my device is an improvement, the latch slides upon a dovetailed projection secured to or cast upon the lever. This is objectionable, as it necessitates considerable trouble in putting the parts together, besides which the latch in the patent has only a short bearing-surface on which to slide, whereas in my improvement the several parts (lever and latch) can be adjusted with the greatest ease, and my latch has the whole lever itself for a bearing-surface, as hereinafter clearly explained.

A represents the side of a wagon-body, to which the lever B is pivoted at a. O is a ratchet secured to the body, as hereinafter explained. The lever B is a straight piece of metal provided with a lug, 12, secured to or cast with it, to support the spring D, whose function is to raise the sliding latch E and keep its projecting dog or finger E? against the ratchet G. In order to do this, the spring D is first placed within the pocket or case E in the sliding latch E, and then the latch is slipped into place on the lever B, the edges of which fit within the ways or groovese e in thesliding latch, which is also cast with a round depression or hollow, e, to give access to the lug b when the two parts are being put together, and when the two are thus united thislug 12 keeps the spring D from falling out of place, as clearly shown in the detail view, Fig.

4. The lever B is between the ratchet and body, and the slidinglatch has a cut-away portion, E which fits over the ratchet, this portion being long enough to allow the sliding latch considerable verticalmovement,as shown.

The sliding latch E extends upward (all in one solid piece) nearly to the top of the leverB, and a latch-lever, F, is pivoted at f to the top of the sliding latch. One arm, F, of this latch-lever projects upward and forms, inconnection with the handle-extension B of the lever B, a handlever for freeing the finger E from the ratchet 0. At the opposite end of the said latch-lever F is a step, F for working the said lever by the foot to accomplish the same purpose, which is effected by means of the following connection of the several parts: On the reverse side of the lever B a short link, G, is pivoted to said lever at g, and this link is made with a shoulder or offset, so that its other end may extend inward and be pivoted at g to the hand end of the latch-lever F, as shown in Fig. 3. This latch-lever may be made with a similar otl'set, if desired, so that it will meet the link half-way, and thus bring the extensions F and B more nearly in a line with each other. lt will thus be seen that the sliding latch E will be depressed against the force of the spring D and instantly free the finger E from contact with the ratchet (J by either drawing the extension F toward the extension B by hand orby pressing with the foot upon the step F The ratchet G is secured to the wagon-body in this manner: It is pushed through between the lever- B and the sliding latch E at the point where the latter is cutaway, (marked B and then one end of the ratchet is fastened to the body on a pillar or boss at 0, while the other end is made with an offset, a, and a curved extension, 0, which latter rests flat againstthe wagon-body, and is secured thereto at its lower end at a, together with the bottom of the lever B, and it is also secured to the body by a bolt or rivet at about the point of the offset 0. Thus the said ratchet C is held at a sufficient distance from the wagon-bod y A to permit the lever B to pass between it and the body. A cap, H, protects the lower ends of the lever B and ratchet-extension O at the point a when they are secured to the wagonbody.

The operation of my device is so obvious from the foregoing as to require no description in addition thereto; and the brake acts on-thc Wheel through the brake-rod I, secured to the 5 lever B, in the ordinary manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the lever B, having lug 7 10 I), with the ratchet O and the sliding latch E,

having pocket E, spring D, cut-away portion E finger E grooves e e, and longitudinal depression a, all as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 15 have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of January, 1882.

JEN S JENSEN. Witnesses:

STANLEY S. STOUT, HAROLD G. UNDERWooD. 

